The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned seven chemicals used in artificial flavors that have been linked to cancer in animals.
“Chemicals that could cause cancer should never have been allowed in our food in the first place, especially not hiding behind the confusing label of ‘artificial flavors,’” said Melanie Benesh, the Environmental Wording Group’s legislative attorney. “The FDA finally did the right thing by taking this important step to better protect consumers.”
The EWG and other environmental and public health groups petitioned the FDA for the ban.
The seven food additives are often used to enhance the flavor of baked goods, ice cream, candy, chewing gum, and beverages. The banned flavors are benzophenone, ethyl acrylate, eugenyl methyl ether, myrcene, pulegone, pyridine, and styrene.
The ban on styrene was also supported by the food industry. However, the FDA acted on the other six after public interest groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit petitioning the agency to make a final decision whether to prohibit the use of the seven cancer-causing chemicals in food.
Earthjustice represented the petitioners, including the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Center for Environmental Health, the Center for Food Safety, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Environmental Working Group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
Manufacturers that use these food additives will have two years to comply with the new rules.
